Ross Sandler
One year ago the Center for New York City Law launched CityLand as a free web-based publication. On that first day, May 3, 2012, twelve persons viewed the site. Twelve months later during April 2013 more than 3,600 individuals read CityLand. And when they opened the website they found timely reports, multiple photographs, hyperlinks to decisions, maps, and related websites, video feed from events, and access to ten years of back issues. CityLand is no longer a monthly newsletter only; it is a major source for daily land use information.
We decided to make CityLand freely available. CityLand had been supported by subscriber revenue with financial help from New York Law School. Many people urged us to charge a fee to view CityLand and to research the CityLand archive. We decided that CityLand and the CityLand archive ought to be free. The most important goal was to increase readership, support the public service mission of New York Law School, and ensure a wider dissemination of New York City land use information.
The results have been great. The number of individuals who view CityLand is more than ten times the number of former print subscribers. Viewers come back many times during the month and many of our articles have been shared and posted on other websites, increasing our readership in ways our print format could not do. Many viewers also heavily use the Center’s related research website, CityAdmin, to read official agency decisions.
As a cost saving measure we stopped printing the attractive and well-designed version of CityLand. The printed newsletter had been mailed first class to subscribers. As a substitute, the Center now uploads a monthly issue for viewers who may then print their own monthly issue. Please let us know if you like the monthly issue and whether you download it and print a hard copy. Please also let us know other ways that we can improve the online version of CityLand.
Cityland’s goal for 2013 is to continue to improve the way that land use is covered, and to increase readership. You can help. Please register as a subscriber on the CityLand homepage. CityLand posts articles several times a week and sends free email alerts to registered subscribers at the same time that CityLand uploads a new article or commentary. CityLand also has taken advantage of social media to promote articles, events, and produce live tweets and status updates from events that we cover. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Thank you for your support of CityLand. You have been very generous in your praise and enthusiasm for the publication. We are very grateful.
Ross Sandler